Helmet saves 25-year-old’s neck from nylon manja
Rujuta Parekh | TNN | Feb 3, 2019, 06:41 IST
The nylon manja that got entangled in Ghorpade’s bikePUNE: Virendra Ghorpade, a 25-year-old advocate, started using a helmet regularly only after the stricter enforcement of the protective headgear mandate in the city. He soon learned to value the helmet after one shielded him from serious nylon manja-caused injury.
The Pune traffic police had intensified their drive against helmetless riders from January 1, ensuring better compliance to the helmet mandate over the month.
“Earlier, I used to wear helmets only when going on long rides. From January 1, I started using the helmet regularly, and it has been a lifesaver,” Ghorpade said.
Talking about the incident, Ghorpade said he was riding in the Maharshinagar area on January 25 when he heard a “scratching” sound and stopped his two-wheeler. “I had turned into the Maharshinagar Road from the Satara Road. Just 500 metre down the road, I heard a scratching sound. I pulled down my helmet’s visor completely and continued to ride. However, the sound continued and I decided to stop and check. I found a nylon manja stuck near the indicator of my bike,” he said.
Ghorpade said the manja may have been hanging from a tree and may have got entangled in the indicator when he drove past it. “The manja got pulled when the vehicle moved thus scraping the helmet. When I stopped to look, I found that the plastic fitting on the handle just in front of the indicator was cut. My helmet also had scratches on the side. The manja was still stuck near the indicator,” he said.
He feels that had he not been wearing a helmet, the manja would have come in contact with his neck and cut his throat. “The helmet saved my life that day. When a manja cuts through, one doesn’t even have time to react. We have seen deaths due to nylon manja in the city in the past. If one tries to pull it off in panic, it could also lead to an accident. I was lucky that I was wearing a helmet,” Ghorpade said.
Ghorpade now spreads awareness about the benefits of helmets. “I want to tell people that full-face helmets must be used as they are not just life-savers during accidents, but they also protect from other things like manja. I called my friends and relatives to share the incident and ask them to wear helmets. I even bought a new helmet for my brother,” he said.
The Pune traffic police had intensified their drive against helmetless riders from January 1, ensuring better compliance to the helmet mandate over the month.
“Earlier, I used to wear helmets only when going on long rides. From January 1, I started using the helmet regularly, and it has been a lifesaver,” Ghorpade said.
Talking about the incident, Ghorpade said he was riding in the Maharshinagar area on January 25 when he heard a “scratching” sound and stopped his two-wheeler. “I had turned into the Maharshinagar Road from the Satara Road. Just 500 metre down the road, I heard a scratching sound. I pulled down my helmet’s visor completely and continued to ride. However, the sound continued and I decided to stop and check. I found a nylon manja stuck near the indicator of my bike,” he said.
Ghorpade said the manja may have been hanging from a tree and may have got entangled in the indicator when he drove past it. “The manja got pulled when the vehicle moved thus scraping the helmet. When I stopped to look, I found that the plastic fitting on the handle just in front of the indicator was cut. My helmet also had scratches on the side. The manja was still stuck near the indicator,” he said.
He feels that had he not been wearing a helmet, the manja would have come in contact with his neck and cut his throat. “The helmet saved my life that day. When a manja cuts through, one doesn’t even have time to react. We have seen deaths due to nylon manja in the city in the past. If one tries to pull it off in panic, it could also lead to an accident. I was lucky that I was wearing a helmet,” Ghorpade said.
Ghorpade now spreads awareness about the benefits of helmets. “I want to tell people that full-face helmets must be used as they are not just life-savers during accidents, but they also protect from other things like manja. I called my friends and relatives to share the incident and ask them to wear helmets. I even bought a new helmet for my brother,” he said.
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